Knowing why, when and how to update your company’s logo can be a confusing problem.  And knowing how to do it cheaply can be a task in itself.

Many business owners put the process off because, hey, the logo’s done them well for this long.  So what’s a bit longer?

But if you’ve been in business longer than a decade, which many family businesses have been, this can be a dangerous thing to do.  With your logo being the face of your brand to your community, if your logo says 1982 but your customer lives with the rest of us in 2018, it’s going to do more harm than good in you gaining that person as a customer.  

I first got my start with All-Systems as a graphic designer out of college.  One of my very first assignments was to refresh the logo.  My mother had designed it for the company when my father and uncle first started the business close to 15 years prior, so it was in definite need of a refresh at the time.

So I took the existing logo, made it full color, and added some trendy elements like italicizing the text.  Then I kinda forgot about it.

Then one morning in late 2016 I decided to do an exercise where I pretended to view our website as a potential new retailer.  

I was horrified.

In the blink of an eye, I’d been with All-Systems for over 12 years.  And our logo was now stuck in 2004 along with my original hire date.  

If we were going to be able to compete with other electronics distributors, we had to be able to show our retailers and new potential customers that we’re as up to date as the technology we carry.  So I set out to rebrand All-Systems and as my first action item, tackled our logo.  Shortly after, our website refresh followed suit.

Granted, it’s easy for me to update our logo whenever we want considering I have a degree in art and design.  For the standard small business owner, this task isn’t so easy.

Luckily there are more resources today than ever before giving small business owners access to inexpensive creative services.  Below are a few of my top picks for places you can go to get a logo designed, or refreshed.  On the cheap.  

Websites to Update Your Logo on the Cheap

99designs

Starting at just $299 for up to 30 design options to choose from, 99designs makes professional logo design affordable for all businesses.  

Their logo design contest tool makes it easy to set up a campaign.  Just click on logo designs you like and complete a quick survey of what you want your logo to convey, and their designers take it from there.  Pick your favorite and have it delivered 7 days later.  Easy peasy.

Fiverr

If you’re looking for a less expensive option, check out Fiverr.  Creative professionals place ads on there offering a variety of services for a flat fee.  

Canva

If you’d rather do your logo or create any graphic design materials yourself, check out Canva.  With beautiful pre-designed templates in sizes for just about everything from web banners to Facebook ads, it’s well worth joining for access to such easy to use creative tools.  

Logojoy

This site offers a web tool that allows you to create your own logo for free, and you only pay once you create or purchase a design you love.   

With so many options these days to get your logo refreshed on the cheap, there’s no reason to keep holding out.  Get your logo that makeover it deserves.  It’ll thank you for it by bringing you more engaged customers.

Not ready to make a change?  Check out some of my favorite marketing podcasts before deciding for sure.

Want a chance to win a logo makeover by me?  Leave a comment on our Facebook post and include a photo of your current logo.  The one that gets the most likes by January 31st 2018 will get a review and redesign by yours truly.